This is a great article posted on another site (who reposted it from another site, who took it from another), but I thought many would enjoy it here. It is The Lazy Man's Guide for Constructing a Call of the Cthulhu Adventure, written by Sandy Petersen, original author of the Call of Cthulhu.

Ephemeralstability wrote:
The ochre sands stretch for miles around. Something kicks up the dust. It's a yak. A desert-yak. It ambles slowly, nuzzling the ground for the low-growing shrubs. The ranger freezes. 'Stay very still,' he warns. 'Don't move at all.' 'What is it?' you ask, breathlessly. 'It's the most dangerous creature in the whole Ocadian desert. And it's about to eat that yak...'

A HellPit is a spring of green ectoplasmic goo that spring forth from the bowels of the astreal to the materail realm in out of the way places. These points of concentrated Evil and Chaos create dangers untold in regions around them.

The Celestrial Dance, The Weave of the Spirit, The Dance of Time, The Song of Reality, and The Flow of the Seasons, are aspects of the Eternal Pattern. The Gods are the walkers, dancer, weaver, paths, and guidepoints of the reoccuring pattern. They are the manifest primal forces that make up the pattern of the universe - The Eternal Pattern

Magic is a living entity, simple and non-sentient, but reactive to large-scale emotional states. Its name, like we might call a dog, 'Dog', is Garan. It is better to think of it as a huge astreal vine like plant, rather than an animal.

You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?

'The Monarch is Eternal. We care not what he looks like. He gives up himself being himself to be the ruler of the country. '
Chancellor Richelius at the Court of Aldophus IV 1620

More Viceral Tips for Horror Gaming!

This piece is dedicated to Captain Penguin

A list of locations and/or situations for a cool fight scene. (list)

Aviontix is designed to be an "ancient kingdon" to be inserted into a game world as history. However, you can make it a current game world, if you want.

A mayor (from the Latin mâior, meaning "greater") is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government. In some places The Mayor is the Chief Executive running the city. In others, they are a ceremonial official. No matter what they really are, mayors tend to reflect their cities, and their cities and city administrations tend to reflect them.

LLorryn of The Singing Steel was known as LLorryn of Rydlin in his lifetime. During that lifetime he crafted thirteen of the famed Singing Blades, as well as numerous other charms and magic items. All are known for his trademark, the ringing sound caused by the magic flowing through them.

The modern definition of festival has four parts: 1. a day or time of religious or other celebration, marked by feasting, ceremonies, or other observances: the festival of Christmas; a Roman festival. 2. a periodic commemoration, anniversary, or celebration: an annual strawberry festival. 3. a period or program of festive activities, cultural events, or entertainment: a music festival. 4. gaiety; revelry; merrymaking. In the later eras of the European Rennaissance (early modern) there was an additional meaning; 5. The marking of important events in the life of a princely dynasty, such as marriage, the birth or christening of an heir, a coronation or a funeral, or the traveling to a new country/ state/ city.

The part of the body for the soul of the world has been corruped. Woe be to all.
-Wyyrrenek, GreenMan Father 1620

Literally, Campaigns are like plants. They can only grow if the conditions are right. The GM must plant them in the correct place and right environmental conditions (i.e. the players must like the ideas behind the games and be willing to play in them). Just like the gardener must prepare the soil and growing environment, the GM must create the basics of the campaign before play.

It is a box of fairly standard children's toys. There are dolls, blocks, carved knights and animals. Everyone will think, 'Oh I had one of those when I was young.'

Every culture has a different idea of what constitute's breakfast. Even regions inside the same culture can vary quite a bit (like grits with hot sauce in Texas or Fishcake mix in omelets in New Hampshire). What do they consider 'food' first thing in the morning in your space?

Exerpt from the Introduction:
I know the ultimate weapon. Humans commit folly after folly because they are afraid. Fear was once Humankind's most powerful ally, giving enormous potency to the instinct for suvival. Now, fear has become Humankind's greatest enemy, and such is the obtusemenss of my species that is members do not realize it is the most powerful element of Human existance.

As you are marched towards The Key, you can feel the rickety dock sway back under the weight of the prisoners. The rowing of The Key is slow and deliberate. You see your home for the next few months. You are suprised it is still afloat.

A shadow shrine is an elegant solution to a complicated problem for those that are Godsworn.